


Reading the Board

by nightmoonz



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Developing Friendships, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Time Skip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:21:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22477855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightmoonz/pseuds/nightmoonz
Summary: “Hey, thanks for coming with me,” Claude said with an easy smile.“Well since you are my new house leader and all, it seemed appropriate.” Sylvain winked as he came into the empty library. It was unforgivably late but Sylvain couldn’t shake the recurring nightmare of the Lance of Ruin consume Miklan over and over, so really? Sylvain was eternally grateful to have the company instead. “And, uh, thank you for agreeing to come here… no offense meant but your room absolutely terrifies me.”Sylvain plays a late night game of chess with his new house leader Claude, in which Claude checks in to see if Sylvain is really okay after Miklan's transformation into a monster.
Relationships: Sylvain Jose Gautier & Claude von Riegan
Comments: 6
Kudos: 53
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 5





	Reading the Board

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nautilics](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nautilics/gifts).



> Hi nautilics!
> 
> I'm so glad that I got you for chocolate box!! 
> 
> I absolutely loved your letter and wanted to give you a hurt/comfort friendship fic with these two good charismatic boys. I really hope you like it and I hope you have a very happy Valentine's Day!!!

“Hey, thanks for coming with me,” Claude said with an easy smile.

“Well since you are my new house leader and all, it seemed appropriate.” Sylvain winked as he came into the empty library. It was unforgivably late but Sylvain couldn’t shake the recurring nightmare of the Lance of Ruin consume Miklan over and over, so really? Sylvain was eternally grateful to have the company instead. “And, uh, thank you for agreeing to come here… no offense meant but your room absolutely terrifies me.”

Claude laughed. “Yeah—I know, I know, books everywhere. And I know how you feel about mess.”

“Oh?” It wasn’t as if the knowledge of Sylvain’s aversion to messiness was uncommon, still it was a weird thing for Claude to know.

“What? You thought I hadn’t done my homework on you? Sylvain Jose Gautier. Heir of house Gautier, best friends with Felix Hugo Fredarlius, Dimitri Alexander Bladdiyid and Ingrid Galatea. By the way, you know Ingrid is actually a distant relative of one of my favorite people in the Alliance, right?”

“Alright, I admit I’m a little impressed you know so much about us considering you only just moved here from—well, let’s call it a distant land—but really now, I gotta ask is that all you know, oh Keeper of Secrets and Sharer of None? I would’ve thought you’d have a bit more up your sleeve.” Sylvain took out his travel-sized chess set. Why on Fodlan he thought playing a game of chess would lift the sadness and pain from his chest he couldn’t say, but he was surprised and relieved when Claude easily agreed to play with him during this little late night chat. It was easy to set up. Claude moved to take a seat and Sylvain quickly followed suit in joining him at the small table. 

“So is that really it, or are you saving the more interesting little secrets for later? I mean, it'd make sense considering you’re one of—if not _the best_ tacticians in Fodlan,” said Sylvain before moving his pawn forward.

Claude smiled. “Something like that—also, thank you—I can’t say I’ve heard that lovely little title without some implied insult behind it before.”

“Is that so?” Sylvain asked in earnest, letting his guard drop for a moment if for no other reason than genuine concern.

Claude shrugged his shoulders in response, and Sylvain felt himself cringe.

“I’m sorry to hear that…”

He wanted to ask Claude more but he had a sinking feeling like he already knew what the answers would be. He was lost in thought when he heard Claude pouring him a cup of tea—bergamot—Sylvain’s favorite as opposed to his own.

“Oh? Come on now, despite the act and however many people you have convinced otherwise, I know you’re one of smartest people at Garrag Mach. I’d say smartest, but there’s our little Lysithea to contend with.”

Sylvain laughed lightly. “I was about to be offended but you’re right about Lysithea... but if the rumors are true, I suppose she has to be, since...” 

_‘Since she’s not long for this world.’_

The thought was clearly etched across his face. Claude’s easy smile faltered. “That’s not my secret to tell. Anyway, can I give you this tip? Never treat her like a little girl unless you have no objections to a tongue lashing and maybe a fireball or two. I do it anyway, if only because I find it hilarious.”

Sylvain smiled. “So instead of discussing Lysithea's secrets... may I ask about some of yours?”

Claude smirked. “Sure, although if you want to know my secrets then you’re gonna have to tell me some of your own. We could make this into a game. Tell me what you think you know about me, and if you’re right, I just might confirm it.”

“Well, rumor has it you like certain spices for a reason. And I feel bad, but wouldn’t you have preferred tea from your homeland? Which, if the rumors are true, means you hail from a country that is very much over the Locket.”

“I’ll have you know I’m perfectly fine with bergamot. You can cut the act—it’s not like anyone’s around—just ask what you want to ask, Sylvain. Because really, now? It might be the only chance you get.” Claude winked.

“If that’s the case, then, what was it like growing up in Almyra?”

“It’s funny," Claude chuckled, "I invited the question but I gotta say I never quite know how to answer that. I’m assuming it was—well—I suppose... eh, let’s just say I think you and I had similar childhoods.”

“Oh? That similar to Fodlan, huh? I wouldn’t have expected that.”

“No. _No._ Very _definitely_ different from Fodlan, I just meant your childhood specifically. But before I answer your question fully—I admit I’m curious.” Claude took his rook to claim Sylvain’s knight. “Why don’t you tell me what your impression of my homeland is?”

Sylvain was kind of shocked. He genuinely was not expecting Claude to be this candid. And that comment about their childhoods being similar had Sylvain on edge. 

Claude took one of his pawns.

“All I know is based on rumors, bias and hearsay.” He paused for a moment and Claude took one of Sylvain’s pawns in retaliation. “And, well… people say some ugly things about your homeland and the people from there.”

“And how do you feel about that?”

“I think it’s disgusting,” Sylvain said pointedly, “and people don’t say things about just Almyra. It’s Duscur, Brigid, Dagda and Sreng too. They all get the same sort of treatment.” Sylvain inhaled deeply. “I’m so sick of ignorance being an excuse to be fearful or hateful, but unfortunately many people share my _oh-so-loving_ father’s point of view.” 

Sylvain’s eyes widened; he hadn’t meant to say that. He didn't like talking about his family, least of all to people he barely knew. There was a lot of darkness there, and maybe that’s why Miklan… It was just so much easier to ignore it completely. Sylvain put his mask of confidence back on and scrambled to recover from revealing too much. “Anyway, what I mean to say is, I think there are too many in Fodlan who have a narrow way of thinking.”

Sylvain captured Claude’s bishop sharply while Claude simply nodded.

“Yikes, so that bad huh?”

Sylvain’s cheeks reddened. “Sorry...”

“Don’t be.” Claude waved his hand dismissively. “Believe it or not I’m well aware of how your average Fodlan thinks about Almyra and other foreign countries. I’m actually kind of surprised being here and seeing a peaceful unity at Garrag Mach. Gives me hope for the future and all. It definitely helps that we have Teach. She sees people for who they are and what they've done, as opposed to most of the people I’ve met. She treats us all the same, from commoner to noble—you’ll like her. Especially since she doesn’t give a damn about crests either.” Claude smiled in an attempt to put Sylvain at ease—however it did anything but.

Sylvain rubbed the back of his neck. “Really? I highly doubt that.”

“You should talk to her more and see for yourself.” Claude took another pawn. "Unless you're afraid of getting your ear pulled because of your horrendous flirting."

Sylvain grinned. “Pfft. Yeah, yeah, I know I’m a jerk. But you're not wrong. I haven't really spent that much time with her outside of class. And she is my new teacher, I really should if for no other reason than to thank her for accepting me into your class and her kind words after what happened with—” 

_'Damn it.’_

For a brief moment he saw Miklan. Him with his angry scar, snarling at him before he turned into a monster.

Sylvain cleared his throat and rubbed his eyes before refocusing on Claude. “You still haven’t answered my question.” He took Claude’s knight. “What was it like growing up in Almyra… Your _Highness?”_

Claude blinked before bursting out laughing. “My, my, now _that_ must have cost you quite a bit of that Gautier money of yours, huh?”

“I wasn’t expecting you to admit that.”

Claude snorted. “Sure you didn’t; however, I would like to point out that technically, I haven’t admitted to anything and because of a promise to my parents I can’t confirm or deny that one.”

“Fair enough, fair enough.”

“Thanks, but seriously I genuinely would like to get to know you—like I said, you’re part of the Golden Deer now—but more than that… I want to thank you for what you did for Teach. Not many people would have picked up on her being in danger with…" Claude lowered his voice and looked around before saying Rhea's name, even though he and Sylvain were alone. "Teach’s kind of innocent—at least in this social setting anyway.”

“You noticed that too, huh? About—” Sylvain mimicked Claude, looking around briefly before continuing, "The Archbishop.”

Claude nodded. "It’s more than a little alarming how quickly their conversation seemed to decline over the tiniest bit of disagreement... makes you think, doesn't it? What would have happened if you hadn't been there.”

“Yeah… But how do you know what went on? I doubt the Professor would have told you, so you must have been well-hidden. Regardless, it was no trouble. The Professor is a good person, but honestly I don’t think it’s naiveté as much as it was her bending her values.”

Claude took Sylvain’s rook. “That’s a fair point… sometimes I’m worried it’ll get her into trouble, but it’s also why I have no issues following her.”

“Hmm, yeah, I get what you mean.” Sylvain took Claude’s pawn, putting him in position to snag Claude’s queen. “After all, that's why I asked to join.”

“And of course looks had nothing to do with it.”

Sylvain laughed. “Aw come on, her looks didn’t hurt but I wouldn’t have joined if it had been for that reason alone.” 

"Mhmm, sure," Claude said right before he took one of Sylvain’s bishops with his queen.

“Aw shit…”

Claude chuckled. “Sorry, Sylvain—I will say this: you’re really quite good, you know.”

“Thanks, _Your Highness._ Are you ever gonna answer my question?” Sylvain took Claude’s knight.

Claude smirked. “Sorry, I don’t mean to keep dodging. Almyra is beautiful.” Claude took another of Sylvain’s pawns. “The landscapes are gorgeous, and the port cities are especially inviting. Really, Almyra isn’t too dissimilar from Fodlan. Obviously there are cultural differences, like better food. Seriously, what does Fodlan have against spices? Anyway, we have gods, not just one goddess—I’ve actually let that slip once or twice—but they’re not the center of our society the way the church is here. And the people—you know—they come in all sorts. Skilled warriors, scholars, kind souls and, well… family. There’s _always_ family...”

Sylvain took another pawn. “Ah. Yes. _Family_.”

Claude took a pawn, as well. He could have taken Sylvain’s other bishop but spared it instead. “I’ve been meaning to ask… How are you doing after Miklan?”

Sylvain sighed; a part of him was expecting this, but he was annoyed it had to come up at all. “He’s a traitor and deserved exactly what he got for stealing the Gautier relic.” 

“Liar.”

“‘Scuse me?” Sylvain’s eyes snapped up from the board and met Claude’s.

“I called you a liar,” Claude said coolly without batting an eye. “Throughout our entire conversation you haven’t lied once, but that? While the traitor part might be true, the second part of that statement? You don’t believe that, not for a second.”

“Oh really? Is that right?”

“It is.”

“And how exactly would you know? You don’t really know anything about me. You have a lot of nerve—”

Claude sighed. “Sylvain. Look, I’m going to tell you a story I learned growing up in Almyra.”

“Claude, I don’t care—”

“Just listen. Once upon a time, in a land far away from here, there lived two boys. They were cousins and the grandsons of the king from this distant land. Now normally the throne would have passed to the King’s oldest child who was—let’s call him Khalid—yeah, Khalid’s father. However, there were complications. You see, Khalid’s father married for love, which would have been fine and all. There was just one tiny problem, the woman he married was from a rivaling nation. So as you can imagine their union was—well, ‘frowned upon’ is the politest term I can think of. 

“The two of them didn’t really care about what other people had to say about their relationship though. They loved each other and by all accounts were strict but wonderfully kind, warm and loving parents. No one agreed with that more than their son. Despite all of that, they didn’t have many friends, but the few they had loved them and Khalid. Still, that left an overwhelming majority of people who didn’t, and this included family. Some even went as far as to say Khalid’s father was a traitor and Khalid...” Claude gave a humorless laugh. “And Khalid was seen an abomination.”

Sylvain stilled, any anger he felt from Claude's accusation earlier completely dissolved. He swallowed harshly and whispered so softly it could barely be heard. “Y-You’re not serious... right?”

Claude willfully ignored Sylvain and continued his tale. “So because of that, there was a lot of talk about Khalid’s uncle inheriting the throne instead. The arguments were ugly—the assassination attempts even more so. But even with all of that, Khalid could take it. He had his parents, and luckily he had his cousin. As far as he was concerned, they were best friends who wouldn’t let their friendship be ruined because of small minds and even smaller people.”

Claude raked his fingers through his hair, then let his hand rest on the back of his neck before making his move of simply moving a stray pawn forward. “But one day, one not-so-special day, Khalid did something to show his bravery, and he and his mother—‘the foreigner’—shrugged off any praise for it. They had been done seeking the approval of others for years. But this one stupid thing put the people at ease—well at least enough that they didn't revolt when the King named Khalid’s father the true heir once and for all—more tea?” Claude asked, clearly waiting for a sign from Sylvain to continue or not. 

“Sure.”

Claude nodded. “From there things got a little better for Khalid, not much but... better enough that it—somehow—sparked jealousy amongst others... Apparently being treated with a modicum of respect is something to be jealous of. But that would not be the worst of it. Not by a long shot. The number of attempts on Khalid’s life doubled. His mother was skeptical of several people, including Khalid's uncle, aunt and cousin. Khalid didn’t understand why, especially since his cousin was still Khalid’s best friend. At least that’s what he thought until his 12th birthday.”

Sylvain looked away. Now he knew why Claude was telling him this story. “He tried to kill y—Khalid, didn’t he?”

Claude let out a completely hollow humorless laugh. “Yeah, Khalid got a poisoned dagger in the chest on his 12th birthday. There was—of course—a speech about how much he had always hated Khalid. How happy he was to be finally rid of Khalid—this speech was littered with all new and creative slurs imaginable… the stupidest part about this whole thing is the only part of his speech that really hurt was when he told Khalid how he never loved him. The dumb kid was dying, and that was the thing that made him cry.”

“Claude—”

“And uh well that’s it. It’s a pretty basic ending; Khalid managed to survive. His cousin’s family was exiled with the exception of Khalid’s cousin who—well, he had been in simple robes for a disguise, so the royal guard killed him on sight thinking him just a regular assassin. Khalid recovered, more or less, but he still has every venomous word from his cousin—his ‘best friend’ memorized, and even after all of that, all of the name calling, the stab wound and the poison nearly killing him… even with all of that… Khalid still mourns him.”

Sylvain swallowed harshly. “How much do you know… how much do you really know about me and Miklan?”

“I think I know most of the infamous ones: how he pushed you in a well and left you alone on a mountainside and no one found you for three days during a blizzard and so on. But.. I also know the thin ice story… that he shoved you onto the ice, and you went under when it cracked—if you hadn’t gripped the edge of the hole you fell through, you would have gotten caught in the current and drowned. I know about what happened in Sreng, and a couple of others, but I’m not trying to hurt you so I’ll leave it at that…” 

“Well shit…” Sylvain laughed before settling into an eerie silence. It wasn’t quite awkward, and oddly enough, there was something comforting in it. Sylvain went through all of his worst, but also begrudgingly, his best memories of Miklan until he broke.

“Why do I care? He deserved it, didn’t he? He was the monster he turned into—” Sylvain instantly regretted those words, and the worst part was he didn’t even know why. Miklan _was_ a monster. Wasn’t he? So who cares, who cares if he got what he deserved. But Sylvain did care for whatever reason, whatever illogical reason, and Sylvain couldn’t seem to stop himself from feeling guilty, for caring, for hurting over what had happened. 

‘ _Stupid fucking Crests_.’

It had built up to a point where he just couldn’t take it anymore, and for the first time since it happened he didn’t try to stop the tears, just letting the waves of mourning take him and all the hiccuping sobs that came with it.

Claude reached over and rubbed his shoulder.

“You care because you’re a good person. You care because maybe there were moments—even if there were only a few—where he acted like he cared for you. Or maybe it wasn’t even really directed at you, maybe you just remember a laugh or a smile in earnest, and so you grieve for him. You mourn for the boy that Miklan could have been. But Sylvain? It’s not your fault. None of what happened is your fault. And even if it doesn’t make sense, even if you don’t know why you're grieving… it’s okay that you are.”

Sylvain took what seemed like hours to stop crying, and throughout all of it Claude kept his hand on Sylvain’s shoulder. The two exchanged a look of understanding, without masks, without any trace of a smile.

“You won’t tell them—Ingrid, Dimitri and Felix—about this, will you? They know some of the stories with Miklan but not all of them... They knew Miklan was... they knew what he was but they didn’t **know**. I don’t want them to feel guilty about it, especially not now. It’s over; what would be the point?”

“Of course I won’t,” Claude said softly. “Hey, Sylvain?”

“Claude, please don’t worry. I promise I won’t tell anyone about where you’re from; that’s not me.”

“No, I know. That’s not what I was going to say... I was going to say—what I want to say is... I truly am sorry for your loss. If you ever need anyone... well, I’m your house leader now.”

Sylvain felt his eyes water all over again. “Hey Claude?” Sylvain paused for a moment, and he wasn’t really sure if he should say it, but he did anyway. “I’m sorry for your loss as well.”

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT: 
> 
> Before Claude's real name was announced I had his name in this story as "Klaus." Since we know his real name now, I changed it ^__^


End file.
